The U.S. Coast Guard Maximum Capacities label is intended to give a boater a guide to safe loading. The standards presume that most operators may be unfamiliar with a particular boat’s configuration and its load capacity. Thus, "clearly visible to the operator when getting the boat underway" is the capacity plate. A boater doesn’t need to get down on hands and knees to see the label. It should be readily available to the eye. Check your boat to make sure it is.

When you do check the label, you’ll notice that the capacity label displays the number of people and the number of pounds that the boat cannot exceed. The Coast Guard considered several methods of determining how many persons would constitute the maximum weight allowed. One method is the average weight of a boater.

So, how is this average determined? One formula used is the assumed weight of the average person, which when divided into the persons capacity in pounds, results in the number of persons that may be carried. The weight of the average person as used in industry standards, state laws and international standards ranged from 150 to 165 pounds. Furthermore, studies of boating accidents indicated average weights of 157 and 162 pounds. So the Coast Guard adopted 160 pounds as the weight of an average person.

A second major factor considered was the grouping of persons in the typical boating outing, which is usually a combination of adults and children. This called for some adjustments in the number of persons that can be carried. The typical group on a boat outing was three to four persons, as indicated in surveys conducted by the Coast Guard. The group was typically a boating family of two adults and one or two children. Obviously this adult child mix played a part in determining the average weight of 160 pounds.

A third major factor considered in determining average weight was the different types of boats to which the formula would apply. Because of the variations in boat sizes and resulting loading capacities it was imperative that the formula applied equally to all boats without unduly restricting the usage of some boats, and without allowing excessive capacities for other boats.

Thus under the formula adopted with all of the above considered, a boat that has a maximum person-weight capacity of 500 pounds has a capacity of four. I know your wheels are spinning; you’re probably thinking if the average weight is 160 and you multiply it by four it comes to 640 pounds. You’re right, but remember the typical boating family of two adults and two children combined weight would not exceed 500 pounds. However, if you had four heavy weight adults aboard, well, they might easily exceed the capacity figure for weight on the label. On the other hand, a boat with a person-weight capacity of 320 pounds is not allowed to carry more than 2 persons according to the formula adopted. The Coast Guard believed that the small lightweight boats with persons capacities of less than 320 pounds couldn’t safely accommodate three persons, even if one or more of the persons is a child. The small lightweight boats are generally very unstable and are easily affected by the motions of persons on board.

The information displayed on the Coast Guard Maximum Capacities label is intended for the use of the boat operator as a guide in loading a boat. There is no violation of Federal laws if a boat operator exceeds the values displayed on the label.

However, some states consider overloading or overpowering a boat beyond the values displayed on the capacity label a violation and may cite an operator who exceeds posted limits. In addition, some insurance companies will not insure a boat that is powered with a motor larger than the Maximum Horsepower Capacity displayed on the label, and some boat manufactures will void applicable warranties for the same reason.

A great deal of thought has gone into establishing these weight guidelines with boater’s safety foremost in mind. Yet, despite all these safety checks, the final fail-safe system lies with boater. Boat Smart- watch your weight.

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Boat Smart is now on the Internet: www.boatsmart.net (includes Lake Michigan water temperatures and local weather).

Use channel 16 for emergencies, and channel 9 for calling fellow boaters.